Blues clinch a playoff berth

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ST PAUL, MN - MARCH 9: The St. Louis Blues celebrate a win of the game against the Minnesota Wild on March 9, 2014 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. The Blues defeated the Wild 3-2 in a shootout. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

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(HockeySTL)-- For the third consecutive season and the 38th time in franchise history, the St. Louis Blues will be competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Blues became the first Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth on Saturday evening as the Boston Bruins handed the Phoenix Coyotes a 4-2 loss. The Coyotes’ defeat cemented a spot for the Blues in the 2014 postseason.

St. Louis was also in action on Saturday, and could have clinched a playoff appearance on their own accord with a win over the Philadelphia Flyers, but they fell 4-1.

The Blues have lost two straight, but have earned at least a point in 9 of their 14 games since the Olympic break. As of Saturday, the Blues have a 47-16-7 record and 101 points, which is two points more than the second-place San Jose Sharks. The Blues are tied with the Boston Bruins for the most points in the National Hockey League. Boston preceded the Blues in clinching a playoff spot, doing so on Friday.

With 12 games remaining in the regular season, the Blues are on pace to record their highest point total in franchise history. They are competing for the NHL’s top point total, which would give them home ice adavantage for the entirety of the playoffs.

The Blues’ season ends on Apr. 13 after they face the Detroit Red Wings on home ice. The Note will play seven more home games before the regular season concludes.

The Blues will likely begin releasing details regarding single-game ticket options for the opening round of the playoffs in the near future. The Chicago Blackhawks are releasing single-game tickets for the postseason on Monday. The Blues likely won't to be too far behind.

As it stands, under the new playoff format, the Blues would be facing the Phoenix Coyotes in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs, which will begin in mid-April.